Remembering Mr Pink
by hollyhobbit101
Summary: Clara is struggling to cope with the death of Danny Pink. On the way to work one morning, the memories of Danny come flooding back.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters in it.**

* * *

><p><span>Remembering Mr Pink<span>

Her world was crashing down around her ears and she was powerless to stop it. He couldn't be gone. Not Danny Pink. Not her Danny Pink. It was all her fault. She was the one who had called him. She was the one who had distracted him and got him run over. He was dead and it was all her fault.

She tried to stop the tears. She hadn't been to work for a while and, while she was still getting paid (the headmaster had said it was understandable taking time off), she needed a distraction. She walked into the bathroom and dried her eyes. She silently promised herself that Clara Oswald would not cry again until she found a way to persuade the Doctor to get Danny back.

As she was walking to Coal Hill School she passed the place where he had died. She gazed at the memorial board, at his face smiling up at her from the many pictures. She felt tears building in her eyes and forced them back down. She would not cry. Her students needed to see her strong. She managed to supress the tears but what she couldn't stop was the flood of memories that overwhelmed her.

* * *

><p><strong>So, how did you like it? Please review and I am also accepting requests for this story. if you have any ideas of what Danny and Clara could have got up to, please post them in the review section or PM me.<strong>


	2. The Beginning

**I may as well warn you now, I am a horrible updater. Updates will be erratic but I will get them up ASAP.  
>Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters in it.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>The Beginning<span>

Clara's POV  
>At first he was just a work colleague, a friend. Sure, he was nice enough but he wasn't someone she loved. But she started to notice little things about him. Like the way he always slowed down when he passed her classroom. Or the way he invited her for a cuppa after school. Or the way his breath hitched in his throat when he spoke to her. She caught him staring at her fondly in the staff room, like he'd been admiring her. He even blushed slightly when she asked him back to her flat. He'd had her round so often, she felt like it was time to return the favour.<p>

He was very sweet to her and always greeted her in the staff room when she came in in the morning. He seemed to be quite fond of her and somehow his voice sounded different when he spoke to her than when he spoke to other staff. And maybe, just maybe, she might be fond of him too.

Danny's POV  
>He couldn't stop looking at her. She was beautiful. It wasn't just on the outside although her rosy cheeks and round, innocent face added to it. She had this wonderful laugh that made him feel happy whenever he heard it. She seemed to be constantly smiling and had this way of cheering him up if he felt down that no one else had.<p>

It might sound corny but as soon as he saw her, he knew she was the one. He looked forward to seeing her every day and, if she ever took a day off, he would check to see if she was okay. Oh well. She was way out of his league. He was just some battle-worn maths teacher who still screamed at night from the nightmares of his days as a soldier. He shook his head. God, he sounded like some love-sick idiot! Which he definitely wasn't. No, siree, not Danny Pink.

He was on his way out of school when he bumped into Miss Oswald. Literally. He was so deep in thought that he walked straight into her and knocked her papers out of her arms.  
>'I'm sorry! Here, let me help you.'<br>He bent down and started picking up her things with her. He presented his neatly stacked pile to her.  
>'Why, thank you, Mr Pink.'<br>'My pleasure Miss Oswald.'  
>The two of them stood in silence for a while, each wanting to say something but neither having the courage to do it. Danny screwed up all of his courage and opened his mouth to speak.<br>'So… Nice weather.' He mentally kicked himself. Who talks about the weather?  
>'Yes. Did you have a good day?'<br>'Yes. You?'  
>'No worse than usual.'<br>He nodded, effectively killing the conversation. _Really Danny? _He chided himself. _Is that really how you speak to a girl?_ He decided to try again.  
>'So… Do you want to come round to mine for dinner on Wednesday?' That was better.<br>'Yeah. I mean I'd love to, if that's okay.'  
>'Sure. See you, then.'<br>'Bye.'  
>As he watched her walk down the drive, a smile began to creep up his face. It was a good start.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it was so short! I'll try and make future chapters longer. If you want to post suggestions, review or PM me. <strong>


	3. Trying to Cope

**I apologise to everyone reading this about the long wait from the last chapter! Here it is finally. Thanks go to GriffinGirl8655 for prompting this story.  
>Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters in it.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Trying to Cope<span>

Danny's POV  
>He was running through the shattered streets. His team were around him, all running towards the same checkpoint. There was firing everywhere, firing from the enemy, firing from the allies. He was joining them, not aiming, just firing, firing, firing into the smoke and the fog.<p>

_Bang, bang, bang. _Shots being fired, seemingly hitting everyone but him. He heard movement from an alley. He stuck his gun in and fired once, twice, three times. He spared a glance as he ran past and saw something he would never forget. A boy was staring at him. He was standing, unhurt, or so it seemed. But then he clutched his stomach and fell down.

Killed by a bullet. Danny's bullet.

Danny tore his gaze away from the body of the boy. He looked so small in death. He ran on and made it to the checkpoint without getting injured. He sat down in a corner, put his head in his hands and cried.

He woke up with tears on his face and he was shaking with fear. He just couldn't forget that little boy and what he'd done. He felt tears welling up and buried his face in the pillow. He had to be strong, had to put on a brave face.

The alarm clock said it was 2:23 am. He should go back to sleep. He would, only he knew that, as soon as he closed his eyes, the strange place called Nightmare would claim him once more. He couldn't concentrate on reading. Nor could he on marking; the little boy just wouldn't go away. Eventually he decided to get some breakfast.

He wearily put some bread in the toaster and waited. It was the last straw when, when he took his toast out, he thought he saw the face of the little boy on the burnt bits. He sobbed and trembled until he found himself on the floor of the kitchen. He succumbed to sleep only to face worse dreams than before.

Clara's POV  
>The teachers were all gathered to an early morning briefing from the Head when Danny walked in late. He mumbled his apologies and settled down to listen. The others just nodded in greeting but Clara noticed that something seemed wrong this morning.<p>

He looked, to say the least, a complete shambles. His tie wasn't done right, his shirt was half untucked and his hair was sticking up all over the place. On top of all that, he had huge, dark bags the size of suitcases under his eyes.

She was worried about him so, at dinner break, she asked him if he was okay.  
>'I'm fine. Just had a bad night, that's all.'<br>But Clara knew when people were most definitely not fine. She needed to help him or it would only get worse. She determined to keep pestering him until she found out what was bothering him.

Danny's POV  
>He hadn't planned to tell anyone about it. They were all nice, don't get him wrong, but he just didn't want to share. But Miss Oswald was very stubborn.<br>'You know I'm always here for you,' she would say. 'Please, Danny, just tell me what's wrong.'

So he did. She listened as he told her about his trials as a soldier. He told her about how nightmares would keep him awake at night and how the people you see die out there never really leave you.

But he didn't mention the little boy.

After he finished, she stayed silent for a while. Danny wondered if he'd overdone it a little, scared her maybe. Instead, she put her arm round him and whispered that it would be okay. That she would always be there for him, no matter what.

And he believed her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you to anyone who has reviewed this! I'd love some more and if you have a suggestion or I made a mistake or something, review or PM me. I'll try and shorten the wait between chapters as well. I didn't mean to leave it this long!**


	4. Christmas Mayhem

**A/N: Just a quick note to say thanks to anyone who's reviewed, followed and faved. Thank you!  
>Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Christmas Mayhem<span>

Clara's POV  
><em>BEEP BEEP BEEP! <em>The sound of Clara's alarm clock woke her up suddenly. She dimly wondered why she had set her alarm for Christmas Day. She never normally did. Usually she spent Christmas alone or with friends. She pondered this for a second before remembering that she had invited Danny for Christmas dinner and she needed to get everything prepared before he arrived. She groaned and groggily got out of bed.

She stumbled into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. She started to prepare the potatoes and left them to on a low heat whilst she had a quick shower.

She was sitting on the bed with her hair dripping down the back of her clothes when she smelt something burning. It took her a moment to realize what it was. She rushed downstairs to find them blackened and burnt.

_It's okay_ she told herself. _You've got plenty of time. They don't matter anyway._ She checked the turkey in the slow cooker (she'd heard it was better when you put it in the night before.) only to find that smoke billowed out of it and the turkey was completely over-done. The smoke alarm started beeping and the noise cut through her head. Now, Clara was the first to admit she wasn't the best cook but this was an especially bad day.

Then she heard the knock at the door.

Danny's POV  
>He chuckled as he heard her marching to the door. Well, not so much marching, more like raging.<p>

'I don't care who you are or what you want but I'm warning you now, I'm having a very bad day and I am not feeling especially charitable even though it's Christmas D- Oh. It's you, Danny. Sorry.'

He laughed. 'Don't worry about it Clara. I thought you might need a bit of help which is why I came early. And I brought food. Just a few snacks, I mean it's hardly a full Christmas dinner but, you know, I thought it might help a bit. Maybe?'

'Thank you so much. You would not believe the day I've been having. Oh, sorry, come in. I sort of forgot we were standing out here.'

He laughed again. This was the Clara he loved: awkward, funny, smart. He walked in and saw what could only be described as a complete shambles. He helped her tidy up everything as best they could.

The rest of the day was spent watching corny Christmas films cuddled up on the settee and talking about anything as only people very close to each other could.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the bad ending. I wasn't sure how to end it so I just wrote something really quickly. Sorry also about it being really short. This one was a bit rushed. I'm still open to requests too.<strong>


	5. Truth and Lies

**A/N: Hello again! Blimey, it's been so long since I last updated this story! So, so, so sorry. Apologies for that previous crappy chapter and I hope this one is going to be much better. I just had a bit of writer's block for this story but I'm happy to say that I've got rid of it for now. Anyway, enough of my waffling and onto the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the characters.**

* * *

><p><span>Truth and Lies<span>

Danny's POV

As first dates went, that was probably an all-time low for Danny. He had managed to walk out on his girl not once, but twice, and they hadn't even been served their main course. Still, everyone knew that Danny Pink hated liars, and Clara Oswald had most definitely been lying her way through that date.

He could see it in her eyes. She wasn't looking at himfully in the face and her body language hadn't been animated. Her hands here lying flat on the table; if she were telling the truth, she would have been gesticulating wildly. Those were the typical symptoms of lies. But most people hid the symptoms better. She had been so obvious. Maybe she had wanted him to know the truth. No. He banished the thought. People don't lie so that you can know the truth.

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

She put her head in her hands and groaned. The other people in the restaurant were staring at her. They had good reason to stare. She had just had her date walk away twice. Must be a record. She had blown it with Danny now. Oh, the Doctor was going to have hell to pay next time she saw him. Ruining her night like that. It was all his f-.

She stopped the thought before it could fully form. It wasn't the Doctor's fault. Well, not entirely anyway. She had lied and she had pretended and she had given Danny a hard time in general. He had read her like a book and seen the deception on her face and he had brought judgement on her. And, boy was that judgement right?

He had seen her for who she was and he knew she wasn't to be trusted.

* * *

><p><span>Danny's POV<span>

Maybe it was for the best. If she was going to lie and cheat and manipulate him, well then, Danny Pink wanted nothing more to do with her. He thought that, for once, he had found someone he could be happy with. Someone he could love, and could trust to love him back and not go behind his back. He though he had found the one. But she was no different from the rest.

There was still a niggling little voice at the back of Danny's head saying that maybe she wasn't like that. Maybe it was a mistake on her part. Maybe she was sorry. Maybe she wanted to turn over a new page, start afresh. He told the voice to shut up. If she was truly sorry, she would have come over by now and apologised.

That was when the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

She stood nervously on the doorstep, waiting, hoping. Waiting for the door to open. Hoping that it would. She bitterly regretted everything she had said earlier. If there was a way to turn back the clock and do it differently, she would take it without a second thought.

Well. There was a way, but that would mean letting the Doctor know of her situation and, let's face it, he's hardly the lovey-dovey type who do things on a whim. He would thoroughly disapprove. So she was stuck here, waiting, hoping, praying that the door would open, and with each passing second becoming less and less hopeful.

She was about to leave when the door was tugged open. She stared at him for a second before regaining her breath.

'I'm so sorry.' She said at the exact same time he did. They looked at one another before she broke into a grin and ran forward to hug him.

'Just promise me one thing, Clara. No more lies.'

'No morelies,' she promised. With her fingers crossed behind his back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, hopefully that was more successful than the last chapter. I think it was, although I'd love to hear what you think. Reviews are much appreciated, and, of course, I'd love to hear any suggestions you might have of things I could do. Canon or non-canon, I don't mind. If you spot any mistakes, please tell me. I think that's about it. Thank you all for reading and, until next time, it's goodbye from me. Goodbye.**


	6. Firsts

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favourited and followed so far. This is just a silly little idea that came into my head. I hope it will be okay.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of the characters.**

* * *

><p><span>Firsts<span>

Danny's POV

The first time he'd seen her, she'd been more than beautiful. She'd been enchanting, captivating, perfect. Perfect in every way. She was clever and pretty and funny and kind and just so, so perfect. The funny thing was, nobody but Danny thought so.

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

The first time she'd seen him, she had barely given him a second glance. Sure he was nice, and a bit handsome too, but she had more pressing matters on her mind than love. Some say that first impressions are key, but not so with Clara.

* * *

><p><span>Danny's POV<span>

The first time they'd spoken had caused an eruption of butterflies in Danny's stomach. He had been so nervous, stumbling over his words and dropping his papers. But she had smiled at him, and that had made all the embarrassment worthwhile.

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

The first time she'd spoken to him was when she had realised what he was truly like. It was also the first time she had realised that she might just like him a little. He had been awkward, but that was okay. She'd laughed, then he laughed, and suddenly the day seemed a little bit brighter.

* * *

><p><span>Danny's POV<span>

The first time they had had a proper date a been a wondrous experience for Danny. They had talked over a candlelit dinner at his house and he had been truly happy for the first time in years.

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

The first proper date she'd gone on with him was another first for Clara. It was the first time she'd ever been on a date with anyone. And, as they ate and chatted and laughed, she couldn't help but think she'd chosen the first person to share that experience with her well.

* * *

><p><span>Danny's POV<span>

The first time they'd kissed had set off fireworks in Danny's head. It was only a quick goodbye brush of the lips, but, to Danny, it was the best moment of his life. But good things always have an end, and this end came far too soon.

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

The first time she'd kissed him had only been a fleeting kiss, but it sparked something magical in Clara. It had only been quick but, when she looked at him after, there was something in his eyes. Something that gave Clara hope.

* * *

><p><span>Danny's POV<span>

The first time Danny had felt loss was not when he had seen comrades die in the war, although that had been hard. It was when he was brutally torn away from Clara. It was when she had disconnected the phone line that let him hear her. It was the last thing he had that had stopped him from pressing the button to delete emotions, and it had been taken from him. It was like ripping a part of his soul out. It had hurt and, for the first time, Danny had known what it really felt like to lose something precious to you

* * *

><p><span>Clara's POV<span>

The first time Clara had felt loss was not when her mother has died, though that had hurt so much too. It was when she had disconnected the phone to Danny. That was when she had realised that she had lost him forever and nothing, no matter how hard she tried, was going to bring him back. It had torn at her very being and it was when she knew what loss really was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope that was okay. It didn't really turn out how I imagined it would in my head. Feedback is very much appreciated, as always, and I'm on the hunt for ideas! If you have an idea you would like me to do, PM me, or stick it in a review and I would be more than happy to do it!**


	7. The Trouble With Teaching

The Trouble With Teaching

Clara's POV

The trouble with teaching was that sometimes you had to stand in for teachers who were away. And, more often than not, you didn't really want to do that lesson. Oh, there was a rare case or two where you actually enjoyed it, but that was very rare indeed, especially at Coal Hill. Today had not been one of those times.

She wearily stumbled into the staff room and flopped down in a chair. She had a free period next, so maybe she could get on with some marking, or just recover from the previous lesson. She dragged herself out of her chair and went to make herself a cuppa. The water was just boiling when Danny walked in.

'Hi, Clara.' He raised his eyebrows at her frazzled expression. 'Rough day?'

'Like you wouldn't believe.' She finished with the tea and walked over to him. 'Year 10 PSE cover. Why on earth did Rebekah have to be away today?'

'Well, I think I'm free next lesson too. How about I get the biscuit tin and you can forget all about it?'

'What, so biscuits have memory wipe powers now? Anyway, I don't think anything will ever make me forget that experience.'

They started laughing just as the headmaster walked in. 'Ah, Danny, just the man. Next period would you be able to cover Rebekah's Year 9 PSE lesson for me? Unless you are too busy having fun with Miss Oswald, hmm?'

Clara mentally rolled her eyes. _What a pompous ass_ she thought.

'No, sir. I'll be there in a moment.' Clara stifled a giggle as Danny surreptitiously rolled his eyes at her.

'There's a good fellow.' The headmaster turned and left, just as Clara burst into laughter.

'I suppose I'll be finding out what you meant now, then.' She nodded.

'I suppose you will.'

* * *

><p><span>Danny's POV<span>

The lesson was every bit as bad as what Clara had described. Trying to tame a bunch of adolescent children into listening to him talk about drugs and smoking was like trying to teach a fish to live out of water. Impossible.

Even barking at them military-style didn't get the result it was supposed to get. No amount of shouting and yelling at them would get them to calm down.

If he was honest with himself, Danny couldn't blame them. He had always hated subjects such as the one he was supposed to be teaching. They had always seemed so boring, so mundane. Still, now he was teaching it, he wished he had payed more attention in lessons.

He was very grateful when the bell finally rang. The kids packed away at the speed of light and bolted out the door to lunch. He made his way down to the staff room and greeted Clara again, before flopping down in a chair.

'That bad?' She grinned as she walked over.

'That bad.' He confirmed.

'Tell you what. How about we go back to my place after school and we can swap stories over a cuppa and some biccies?'

'I think I might just take you up on that one.'

They leaned in towards each other just as the door opened. They sprang apart and Danny heaved himself up, with great difficulty. Ah, yes. That was the trouble with teaching. It took a hell of a lot out of you.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I going to discontinue this story now, for several reasons.**

**1. Not many people are reading this now. (Yes, I am one of those sad people who look to see how many people are reading their stories).**

**2. I'm running out of ideas. Which reminds me, credit for the inspiration of this chapter goes to CarlaKitten21, an absolutely fantastic author.**

**3. If I'm honest, I'm getting a bit fed up with this story.**

**There are more reasons but you don't want to know them all. I hope you've all enjoyed this story and I thank everyone for reading. Oh, one last thing. I'm going to publish another Doctor Who story soon (hopefully) called We Remember****: The Ones Lost in Time. Keep an eye out.**


	8. Moving On

Moving On

Clara jerked back to reality. She had no idea how long she'd been standing there, but people were giving her funny looks. She tasted salt in her mouth and felt wetness on her cheeks. She hastily grabbed her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. One woman came and asked if she was okay.

'Fine. I'm fine.' She lied. But that was okay. Because Clara Oswald lies.

She glanced at her watch. Damn, she'd have to run to work now. She spared one last glance at the board before dashing away.

Danny Pink wasn't dead. He was still alive in her heart. And, if she could find a way to bring him back, she would.

There was something niggling at the back of her mind. Something about the Doctor. Something about his keys...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And... That's a wrap! Thanks to everyone who's read/followed/favourited this. Special thanks go to CarlaKitten21, LavenderAndTime, GriffinGirl8655, heRmiONe721 and Guest for reviewing. You're all fantastic.**


End file.
